Bersamina keeps Asean youth chess solo lead

MANILA, Philippines - Newly crowned national junior champion Paulo Bersamina drew with Trisan Ibaoc in the fourth round and then subdued Pham Anh Trung of Vietnam in the fifth to keep the solo lead in the boys’ 12 years old and under division of the 2010 Asean age-group chess championships at the Traveler’s Hotel in Subic yesterday.

Bersamina, who became the youngest player at 12 to win the national junior championship in Davao City last month, raised his total to 4.5 points, one point ahead of Carlo Caranyagan and three other foreign rivals.

The incoming freshman at FEU will meet third seed Amir Badkoubi of Iran in the sixth round.

Badkoubi toppled second seed Nguyen Van Toan Thanh of Vietnam in the fourth round and halved the point with Romuloi Curioso in the fifth to lead the 3.5 pointers.

In the boys’ 16-under class, fifth ranked Prince Mark Aquino stunned top seed Dang Hoang Son of Vietnam, and No. 9 seed Jan Nigel Galan subdued compatriot Dominique Lagula to gain a share of the lead.

Giovanni Mejia, on the other hand, grabbed the solo lead in the boys’ 14-under with 4.5 points as he drew with Melwyn Kenneth Baltazar in the fourth round and shocked top seed Le Tuan Minh of Vietnam in the fifth.

Aquino, who bagged the gold medal in the boys 14 under division in the 2008 edition in Vietnam, also won over compatriot Kline Surposa in the fourth round late Sunday to raise his score to four points.

Galan, who won the individual gold medal for La Salle Greenhills in the NCAA junior tournament last year, matched Aquino’s output by beating Dang in the fourth round.